Current:Home > NewsAn Indiana man gets 14 months after guilty plea to threatening a Michigan election official in 2020 -Core Financial Strategies
An Indiana man gets 14 months after guilty plea to threatening a Michigan election official in 2020
View
Date:2025-04-17 04:45:24
DETROIT (AP) — An Indiana man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to making a violent threat against a local election official in Michigan soon after the 2020 election.
A federal judge sentenced Andrew Nickels, 38, of Carmel, Indiana, on Tuesday for threatening to kill a suburban Detroit clerk, The Detroit News reported. He had pleaded guilty in February to transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
In a voicemail left on Nov. 10, 2020, Nickels threatened to kill Tina Barton, a Republican who at the time was the clerk in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Investigators said he accused her of fraud and said she deserved a “throat to the knife” for saying there were no irregularities in the 2020 election.
Then-President Donald Trump had claimed there were election irregularities in Michigan and elsewhere following his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Michigan Republican lawmakers investigated the 2020 presidential election for months and found no widespread or systemic fraud, concluding that Biden had won the state.
Barton said in a victim impact statement, “No one should have to live in fear for their life or endure the trauma that has been inflicted upon me — especially those dedicated to ensuring our elections are administered fairly and accurately.”
She is now vice chair of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, a national group. That group’s chair, former Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff Paul Penzone, said Tuesday in a statement that Nickels’ sentence sends a “signal to election officials across the country that threats against them will be taken seriously and those who engage in such behavior will be held accountable.”
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of at least 24 months for Nickels, explaining a terrorism enhancement was warranted to exceed the sentencing range of 10 to 16 months calculated by the probation department.
Defense attorney Steven Scharg said a prison sentence was not warranted for his client. He said Nickels had no prior criminal history and at the time of the offense he was not taking his medications for mental health conditions diagnosed in 2008.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix Breaks Silence on Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss Scandal
- Estonia hosts NATO-led cyber war games, with one eye on Russia
- 9,000 digital art NFTs are being released to raise funds in George Floyd's memory
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Uber will list all New York City taxis on its app, giving customers more choices
- What does a black hole sound like? NASA has an answer
- Jennifer Lopez Just Launched a Dazzling Exclusive Shoe Collection With Revolve
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- The Other Two Gets a Premiere Date for Season 3
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Suspected American fugitive who allegedly faked death insists he is Irish orphan in bizarre interview
- China public holidays bring a post-COVID travel boom, and a boost for its shaky economic recovery
- A new app guides visitors through NYC's Chinatown with hidden stories
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- You're@Work: The Right Persona for the Job
- A new app guides visitors through NYC's Chinatown with hidden stories
- Russia is restricting social media. Here's what we know
Recommendation
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
King Charles' coronation crowns and regalia: Details on the Crown Jewels set to feature in the ceremony
Russia hits Ukraine with deadly missile salvo, killing 23
Museums turn to immersive tech to preserve the stories of aging Holocaust survivors
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Netflix lost viewers for the 1st time in 10 years, says password sharing is to blame
Here's how Americans view facial recognition and driverless cars
Hal Walker: The Man Who Shot The Moon